LeBron James‘ free agency has been the biggest story of the NBA offseason so far, with several teams hoping to land the four-time champion. Roster fit and championship hopes will drive his decision, but salary can also be an important factor.
Here’s a look at how much each of the reported teams can currently offer to the NBA’s all-time leading scorer, as reported by Sammy Profeta of The Sporting News.
– Miami Heat: Up to $7 million
– Cleveland Cavaliers: $6.1 million mid-level exception or $3.9 million veteran minimum
– Golden State Warriors: $3.9 million veteran minimum
– Philadelphia 76ers: $3.9 million veteran minimum
– Denver Nuggets: $3.9 million veteran minimum
– Minnesota Timberwolves: $3.9 million veteran minimum
The Miami Heat hold the biggest financial advantage over rival teams. The Heat can offer up to $7 million next season, which is more than any other team can offer. Plus, when you consider Florida has no state income tax, Miami becomes a little more appealing.
The Heat already have an attractive roster after acquiring Giannis Antetokounmpo, who reportedly wants to play with LeBron. One reason why the Heat have more cap space is that they have held off on signing veteran free agents, waiting for LeBron’s decision.
The Cleveland Cavaliers can offer two different options. If they are able to access their mid-level exception, the Cavaliers can offer LeBron $6.1 million. If they are unable to use that exception, they can offer a $3.9 million veteran minimum.
And given that the Cavaliers are considered the favorites in many recent reports, that small salary may not matter that much. A deep roster filled with stars and a chance to come back home make Cleveland a very attractive spot.
The rest of the teams are all limited by cap space. The Golden State Warriors can offer the $3.9 million veteran minimum under their current cap situation. The same goes for the Philadelphia 76ers, Denver Nuggets, and Minnesota Timberwolves.
But these numbers only apply to teams signing LeBron outright in free agency. They do not account for sign-and-trade scenarios or trades freeing up cap space to offer a higher salary. Those would open up additional possibilities that aren’t reflected in these numbers.
But money is unlikely to be the deciding factor. Shams Charania has reported that happiness will be the biggest deciding factor, not money.
With LeBron’s decision expected soon, every contender is waiting for the dominoes to fall. The financial offers are now clear. The only remaining question is which opportunity LeBron values the most.
